Man jailed for gouging out the eyes of brother's love rival with a pair of kitchen scissors

Benjamin Gibson, 22, gouged out Christopher Craig's eyes for moving in with his brother's ex-partner

In an act of revenge for moving in with his brother’s ex-partner, Benjamin Gibson gouged out a man’s eyes with a pair of kitchen scissors.

Christopher Craig, 21, has been left permanently blind following the attack by Gibson in Milton Keynes in April this year.

Gibson, 22, a mechanic from New Bradwell, was today jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on Craig with intent.

Gibson, his older brother Paul and Keeley Duggan had all at one time shared a house together in Permayne, New Bradwell.

Paul Gibson and Duggan had been in a relationship and had two young children together.

However, within a month of the relationship ending, Duggan began seeing Craig.

The prosecutor Paul Wakerley said there was an understanding between her and Paul Gibson, who continued to live under the same roof, that when he was working nights, her new boyfriend could stay over.

Judge Richard Foster was told Benjamin Gibson, who had the spare bedroom in the house, was not happy with the new relationship and arrangement.

In the early hours of April 18 2008, Gibson, who had been out drinking with work colleagues, arrived home.

Duggan was upstairs in bed with Craig when she awoken by the sound of banging.

Having let Gibson in through the front door, he pushed past her, storming upstairs and shouting: "Chris, where are you mate? Get out of bed, get out of bed!"

Christopher Craig (above with girlfriend Keeley Duggan) has been left permanently blind from Giibson's attack

After barging into the bedroom, the court heard there was a confrontation between Gibson and Craig. The two men then fought and Gibson was smashed in the face by a glass wielded by Craig.

Gibson then ran downstairs into the kitchen, where he armed himself with a pair of scissors and a knife.

Duggan, who was on the phone to her father, who is a serving police officer, and Craig retreated into the children's bedroom.

Rushing back upstairs, Gibson first kicked over a stairgate before forcing his way into the bedroom.

The commotion woke Duggan's 3-year-old daughter.

Gibson then attacked Craig, stabbing him in the neck with the scissors.

The victim fell to the floor and Gibson, sitting over him, repeatedly stabbed him with the scissors to the forearm, chest and back.

At one point, Craig managed to roll onto his side and bring his legs up to his chest in a foetal position.

Duggan managed to grab her children and ran into the bathroom with them.

Police officers, along with Duggan's father, arrived at the house a short while later to find that Gibson had fled and Craig was badly injured. His eyes had been attacked. Later, an examination had revealed a gouging of the eyes.

Wakerleytold the court Craig’s eye injuries have left him permanently blind in both eyes.

The court heard Gibson had two previous convictions; one in 2003 at a youth court for theft from a non dwelling house, for which he received a referral order and another in 2006 when he had received a conditional discharge and was ordered to pay compensation and costs after admitting an offence of battery.

"He got nine years for causing me a lifetime of blindness,” said Craig.

“He should have got life."

"I have got to go another 70 years without sight. He will come out of prison in a few years time and get on with his life. I don't think justice has been done," he added.